15 December 2008

Dear Parent/Carer

I hope that your preparations for Christmas are going well and that you are looking forward to
spending time with family and friends and you have not been unduly effected by the growing
concerns with our country’s economy. If anything, the mismanagement that appears to have taken
place reinforces the need for a good and sound education that offers the acquisition of essential
skills such as resilience and resourcefulness and promotes good learning through developing
perseverance, curiosity, self-knowledge and collaboration. As usual much has happened this term
to endorse this belief that I hope your son/daughter has benefited from.

At the end of November, after the feast of Christ the King, we held our annual Awards Evening at St
Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond with the former Secretary of State for Education Shirley
Williams, Baroness of Crosby, as our guest of honour. The church was packed to capacity with
students and their parents who had been nominated for subject awards for achievement or
progress. They were joined by a very large group of our former year 11 students who collected
their GCSE certificates. It was a wonderful celebratory evening which re-enforced the progress
being made by our learning community.

In this season of Advent, our charity has been the Samaritan’s Purse – a project we have supported
with Holy Trinity and involved us donating over 100 shoe boxes of non-perishable goods for
distribution to worthy recipients. We have also continued to support the Barons Court Project, a
group whose aim is to help people less fortunate than ourselves. I hope that your son/daughter
has made you aware of this and that they have been able to contribute to this worthy cause – and
help their house too.

Year 11 students are mid way through their mock GCSE Examinations. Coursework is almost
complete and I hope that parents/carers are fully aware of what is expected from their
sons/daughters. If there is any doubt please do not hesitate to contact the relevant subject
teacher or their form tutor. All year 11 students will be invited for an interview with a senior
member of staff in January and parents/carers will also be invited to attend. Letters will be sent out
in the New Year.

In order for Year 11 to be fully engaged in our preparations for Christmas, they have a Carol Service
on Thursday afternoon at Holy Trinity Church. Later that evening there will be one for parents at
the same venue at 7pm to which you are most welcome to attend. Friday morning will see the rest
of the school attend a Carol Service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Richmond. We recently sent
out a permission letter, along with your son/daughter’s academic tutoring letter, requesting
parental permission for student’s to travel to and from events out of school. If you have not
already done so could you please sign and return to reception to enable your child to walk to their
Carol Service.

Please use the forthcoming Christmas break to reflect on the Autumn term with your daughter/son.
Check their uniform to ensure that it complies with our expectations – if in doubt ask your child’s
form tutor. Footwear should be school shoes – not boots or trainers/leisure shoes. Blazers should
be worn with overcoats, not replaced by them, and have the school badge on the breast pocket.
Hair should be of an appropriate length and cut to a traditional style – there should be no tram
lines or other unusual deviations. The only acceptable piercings are a single plain stud in each ear.

Please also check your daughter/son’s school diary. Students should use it as a planning and
organisation tool, not as a doodle or sketch book. Students who deface their diaries or allow them
to disintegrate will have to replace them at a cost of £5.00. The diary is a useful record and should
not have to be replaced. Thank you to those parents who do check and sign it every week and use
it to communicate with your son/daughter’s form tutor. It should be something that they are proud
to show you or anybody else.

I would like to reiterate that it is our policy at Christ’s not to authorise family holidays during term-
time unless there are particularly exceptional reasons for doing so, and that we do intend to work
Headteacher: Richard Burke MA

Queens Road Richmond upon Thames Surrey TW10 6HW

2009 will see the school continue with the challenge of securing funds for a Library/Learning
Resource Centre for our students. We are in desperate need to improve this facility and much work
has been done to move this project successfully on.

In 2009 we also hope to see the launch of our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This will enable
you to have greater access to details about your son/daughter, whether it be attendance or current
assessments together with progress towards academic targets. Ms Hatton, Assistant Headteacher,
is leading on this with great support from Mr Donovan and Mr Ridley who joined us earlier this year
and transformed the ICT network as well as redesigning and launching the new website
www.christs.richmond.sch.uk.

We are constantly looking to increase the number of people we can call upon to invigilate our
examinations in school. The rate of pay is approximately £8.00 an hour dependant upon training.
If you are interested please contact Jon Hughes whose e mail address is
[email protected]. The key time is the first week of May followed by the last 2
weeks of May and the first 3 weeks in June. Thank you to those parents who currently assist so
successfully.

We are also looking to appoint some lunchtime supervisors to assist with general supervision
around the site at lunchtime. Training will be provided. The rate of pay will be about £10 per hour.
Supervisors will be required for one hour per day from 1.00pm until 2.00pm Monday-Friday. Again
please contact Mr Hughes if you are interested.

At this time of year we often bid goodbye to staff, and this year is no exception. Mr Bamber
(Design Technology) who has been with us since July 2007 and Ms Bennett (Modern Foreign
Languages) who has been with us since January earlier this year and Ms Preston (Science) who
move on to different things. We wish them well.

Term ends on Friday 19 December at 12.30pm in time for the celebration of Christmas. The new
term begins in 2009 on Monday 5 January at 8.30am. This day will begin with us having our first
Whole School Eucharist.

Thank you for your continued support over the year. It is very much appreciated. I hope that your
Christmas break will be both happy and holy and a time for your families to enjoy. Best wishes too
for a successful 2009.

Yours faithfully

R.E. Burke
Headteacher

Headteacher: Richard Burke MA

Queens Road Richmond upon Thames Surrey TW10 6HW